Debate Highlights Controversy for Virginia Gubernatorial Candidates

During a debate on Thursday evening, Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate for governor in Virginia and a former congresswoman, faced a tough question regarding her support for attorney general candidate Jay Jones. His violent text messages had recently come to light, raising significant eyebrows.

These messages, which resurfaced from 2022, included alarming comments from Jones, who had expressed a desire to harm Republican congressmen. When asked directly if he knew about these messages before the report was made public and whether he would continue to back Jones, Spanberger responded, “Jay Jones’ comments are absolutely abhorrent. I condemned them when I learned of them… as a mother and a public servant, I’ll always condemn this kind of rhetoric.”

However, when Spanberger was pressed about whether she would request Jones to step down from the race, she seemed to shift her response, accusing her opponent, Winsome Earle Sears, of only denouncing violence when it benefits her side. She remarked that Sears routinely labels her as an “enemy.”

At the conclusion of the debate, the host pressed Spanberger once more, noting that he hadn’t heard a clear answer regarding Jones’ endorsement. Spanberger pointed out that it seemed the text messages were kept hidden for a long time for political gain.

Sears attempted to clarify when Spanberger learned about the messages, with the moderators urging her to answer. Spanberger stated that she became aware of the messages the day they were released and condemned them right away.

“Now that voters have this information, which may have been withheld for political reasons, it’s their choice on how to react,” she added.

As the host reiterated the yes-or-no nature of the support question, Spanberger replied, “We’re all running our own campaigns. That’s up to the individual. I’m focused on serving the Commonwealth of Virginia.”

One particularly disturbing message from Jones, directed at a former colleague, included graphic and violent imagery towards a Republican leader. After the controversy erupted, Jones accepted full responsibility, expressing regret and apologizing to the individual and his family.

Spanberger denounced the message but has not called for Jones to resign. The gubernatorial race has heated up recently, with polls indicating that Spanberger’s approval stands at around 49.2%, while Sears has 45.2%, leaving a small percentage still undecided. This is a slight shift from previous polls showing Spanberger with a slightly higher approval.